Semantic Web Architecture: Stack or Two Towers?

Abstract. We discuss language architecture for the Semantic Web, and in particular different proposals for extending this architecture with a rules component. We argue that an architecture that maximises compatibility with existing languages, in particular RDF and OWL, will benefit the development of the Semantic Web, and still allow for forms of closed world assumption and negation as failure. Up until recent times it has been widely accepted that the architecture the Semantic Web will be based on a hierarchy of languages, each language both exploiting the features and extending the capabilities of the layers below. This has been famously illustrated in Tim Berners-Lee’s “Semantic Web Stack” diagram [3] (see Figure 1). As a result of the work of the W3C Web Ontology Working Group, the “Ontology” layer has now been instantiated with the Web Ontology Language OWL [2]. Since then, attention has turned to the rules layer, and much effort has been devoted to the design of suitab...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: PPSWR
• Authors: Ian Horrocks, Bijan Parsia, Peter F. Patel-Schneider, James A. Hendler
• Keywords: Internet Technology, PPSWR 2005, Semantic Web, Semantic Web Stack, Web Ontology